116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Bethel Sylvester
BETHEL JOY SYLVESTER
Marion
Bethel Joy Sylvester, 85, of Marion, Iowa, passed away Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Mercy Medical Center. A visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23, at Toddville Free Methodist Church. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, at the church with Pastor Tim DeVries officiating. Services will be livestreamed on the church's YouTube page, www.youtube.com/channel/
UCxlL14SFganAgRY6uU_7osQ. Burial at Dunkard Cemetery will be at a later date. Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Marion is assisting the family.
Bethel was born June 2, 1936, in Iowa City, Iowa, the daughter of Raymond Benedict and Martha Jane (Auman) Schmickle. She attended Toddville High School and graduated from Wessington Springs Junior College, where she met the love of her life. On June 15, 1956, Bethel was united in marriage to Larry Eugene Sylvester at Toddville Free Methodist Church. She excelled at music, teaching piano lessons and working for Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, but she loved playing for weddings. Bethel was a member of Toddville Free Methodist Church, where she was the church musician, as well as a youth leader, Bible club leader, Bible study leader, children's counselor and a volunteer at hospice. She enjoyed playing card games, putting together puzzles, creating photo albums for her grandchildren, going to garage sales and late-night runs to Burger King with her grandchildren. Most of all, Bethel loved Jesus, family and friends.
Bethel is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband of 65 years, Larry Sylvester of Marion; two sons, Philip (Cindy) Sylvester of Richland, Iowa, and Mark Sylvester of Midway, Iowa; two daughters-in-law, Kim Sylvester of Waukon, Iowa, and Lisa Roth of Oklahoma; special friend, Aaron Krouse of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; grandchildren, Teisha Heft (Patrick), Luke Sylvester (Kim), Cody Sylvester (Madison), Jered Sylvester (Kitty) and Tyler Sylvester (Allie); great-grandchildren, Austin (Sarah), Abbigail, Alicia, Lilly, Quenton, Rory, Harper, Kane and Madeline Joy; and dog, Mitzi.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Martha Schmickle; son, Dennis Sylvester; and brother, Burdette Schmickle.
A memorial fund has been established.
Please share a memory of Bethel at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.
Daily Newsletters